MARI YAMAGUCHI
TOKYO— The Associated Press
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Japan’s government admitted Tuesday that its safeguards were insufficient to protect a nuclear plant against the earthquake and tsunami that crippled the facility and caused it to spew radiation, and it vowed to overhaul safety standards.
The struggle to contain radiation at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex has unfolded with near-constant missteps – the latest including two workers drenched with radioactive water despite wearing supposedly waterproof suits.
The unfolding drama has drawn increasing criticism of the utility that owns the plant as well as scrutiny of Japan’s preparedness for nuclear crises that slammed into Japan’s northeast, wiping out towns and killing thousands of people, as well as knocking out power and backup systems at the coastal nuclear power plant.
More than 11,000 bodies have been recovered, but officials say the final death toll is expected to exceed 18,000. Hundreds of thousands of people remain homeless, their homes and livelihoods destroyed. Damage could amount to $310-billion – the most expensive natural disaster on record.
“Our preparedness was not sufficient,” chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano told reporters. “When the current crisis is over, we must examine the accident closely and thoroughly review” the safety standards.
An Associated Press investigation found that Tokyo Electric Power Co. officials had dismissed scientific evidence and geological history that indicated that a massive earthquake – and subsequent tsunami – was far more likely than they believed.
That left the complex with nowhere near enough protection against the tsunami.
The mission to stabilize the power plant has been fraught with setbacks, as emergency crews have dealt with fires, explosions and radiation scares in the frantic bid to prevent a complete meltdown.
The contaminated water has been emitting four times as much radiation as the government considers safe for workers. It must be pumped out before electricity can be restored and the regular cooling systems powered up.
That has left officials struggling with two crucial but contradictory efforts: pumping in water to keep the fuel rods cool and pumping out contaminated water.
Officials are hoping tanks at the complex will be able to hold the water, or that new tanks can be trucked in. On Tuesday, officials from the Nuclear Safety Commission said other possibilities include digging a storage pit for the contaminated water, recycling it back into the reactors or even pumping it to an offshore tanker.
The latest problem came Tuesday, when three workers trying to connect a pump outside the Unit 3 reactor were splashed by radioactive water that gushed from a pipe. Though they wore suits meant to be waterproof and protect against high levels of radiation, nuclear safety official Hidehiko Nishiyama said the men were soaked to their underwear with the contaminated water.
They quickly washed it off and were not injured, officials said.
Last week, two workers were admitted to hospital with burns after they were issued ankle-high protective boots to walk into highly radioactive knee-deep water.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan reiterated in a speech to parliament that Japan was grappling with its worst problems since World War II.
“This quake, tsunami and the nuclear accident are the biggest crises for Japan” in decades, said Mr. Kan . He said the crises remained unpredictable, but added: “We will continue to handle it in a state of maximum alert.”
Associated Press
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